Help the Elderly Avoid Heat-Related Illness

July and August are the months for hyperthermia: heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat syncope (fainting), heat cramps, and heat exhaustion.  Of these, heat stroke is a real emergency; the signs: fainting, body temperature over 104° F, a change in behavior (confusion, grouchiness, acting strangely, or staggering), dry flushed skin, a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse, absence of sweating despite the heat, delirium or coma.

Here are some tips from the National Institute on Aging for helping older folk if you suspect they are suffering a heat-related illness:

Get them out of the sun and into a cool place — air-conditioning is best.

Offer fluids, but avoid alcohol and caffeine. Water and fruit and vegetable juices are best.

Shower or bathe them, or at least sponge off with cool water.

Lie them down and get them to rest, if possible in a cool place.

Apply a cold wet cloth to the wrists, neck, armpits, and/or groin (places where the blood passes close to the surface).

Take them to a doctor or an emergency room if they don’t cool down quickly.

The Age Pages are a good source of common-sense information on helping older persons.